GAINESVILLE, Ga. — The only way Krofton Montgomery could explain All-AccessWDUN first-team running back Elijah Hayes's performance Friday night is, “he’s just a dude.”
Indeed, he was in West Hall’s 31-19 win over Chestatee at the Lynn Cottrell Complex in Sardis on Friday night.
“I mean, he’s just a dude,” Montgomery said. “There’s no other way to explain him.”
Hayes carried the ball 19 times for 178 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. He added another 13 yards through the air, pushing his total to 191 yards of offense.
Hayes’ two rushing scores were from 43 and 40 yards, but none more dynamic than his 43-yard scamper in the second quarter. The senior back was in trouble after running into a bunch of War Eagles near the West Hall sideline. He quickly made a U-turn, sprinted across the field, and then pivoted down the Chestatee sideline for the 43-yard score.
“He cuts it back and scores there,” Montgomery said. “It’s a kind of stuff you don’t often see in high school football. He’s just a special player.”
The game's first two drives stalled out for Chestatee (1-1) and West Hall, but the Spartans (2-1) landed a small punch on their next drive that led to the 17-0 halftime lead. Senior kicker Junior Avilla booted a 49-yard field goal to break the goose egg on the board and a 3-0 advantage.
In the second half, Chestatee’s offense found a little momentum, mainly from a halfback pass from Caysen Goss that found Bryan Silguero wide-open downfield. Silguero hauled in the pass and ran in for the 80-yard TD. It was the first of Silguero’s three TDs, scoring on a 3-yard run and a 5-yard pass later in the half.
Chestatee will be on the road next week, taking on East Forsyth, and West Hall will host Johnson. Both games are set for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.
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